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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24151687">Signals</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/zmethos/pseuds/zmethos'>zmethos</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>MacGyver (TV 1985), The X-Files</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 19:33:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,065</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24151687</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/zmethos/pseuds/zmethos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>While on a seemingly routine job to fix a satellite at a forest ranger's station, Mac and Jack cross paths with two spooky FBI agents.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Like "The Bane," this was originally published in the 1997 fanzine <i>Texas Extra</i> (Small Texas Press). One of my earliest fan works.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I've got a job for you, MacGyver," Pete Thornton said, knowing full well what was coming.</p><p>"Pete, you promised me a vacation," Mac began.</p><p>"I know, and you'll get one," the bald man who was Mac's boss and also one of his best friends told him. "Besides, this job is routine and it won't take long." When Mac still looked doubtful, Pete added the words he knew would win the case: "We need you."</p><p>Mac sighed. "All right. What's up?"</p><p>"There's a ranger's station up near Yokitaw, Washington, that's stopped its satellite transmissions. The government sees no real reason to send any of their men—" Pete caught Mac rolling his eyes but continued without comment, " because they figure it's probably just a glitch. So they want someone a little mechanically minded to go check it out."</p><p>Saying MacGyver was "a little mechanically minded" was to put it mildly; the man was a physics whiz who had fixed cars with nothing but a ballpoint pen and once stopped a leaking nuclear reactor with a candy bar. His boss took full advantage of his abilities, but Mac didn't mind because there was nothing he liked better than being able to help.</p><p>Except maybe a vacation.</p><p>Still, the job sounded routine, and Mac loved Washington state. Maybe when he was done he'd just take a couple extra days up there. "What about the ranger?" he asked.</p><p>"No one's heard from him, but if it's a full-blown outage, his radio might be down. So you'll do it?"</p><p>"I'll get Jack to fly me out this afternoon."</p><p>***</p><p>The ranger's station had a clearing near it where helicopters could land in case of emergencies; this was where Jack planned to land as well.</p><p>"You sure you can make it?" Mac called over the roar of the plane's engine.</p><p>"Sure, Mac! Trust me!"</p><p>"That's usually my first mistake," muttered Mac. Then, "Jack, look out!"</p><p>The mustached pilot jerked the plane to a stop as it set down, barely preventing it from plowing into some nearby trees. "Geez," Jack growled, "you think they'd make the runway a little bigger, if not pave it."</p><p>"It's a forest, Jack!" Mac shouted, climbing out of his seat. His shaggy, sun-streaked hair spiked erratically as if it might actually have been standing on end.</p><p>Jack scrambled after him, pausing to follow his friend's gaze up the sloping hill. A small log cabin sat at the top. "Wonder if anyone's home," he said. "There's a Jeep and... What's that other building?" He pointed to a taller, narrower structure that stood a story taller than the cabin. At its top, a rectangle was cut out of the wood, and the satellite was visible through the hole.</p><p>"Must be the transmission tower," Mac said. He turned back to the plane and hauled out his duffel. "Let's find out."</p><p>"Looks like Uncle Sam's cabin is deserted," Jack remarked when Mac's knock went unanswered.</p><p>"Mmm," was all Mac said. He pushed on the door and it opened easily. All the windows were shuttered but the place was clean. It didn't look as if anything were wrong, just empty.</p><p>Jack had already scooted past and begun snooping. "Kitchen's stocked!" he announced, pulling cabinets open randomly.</p><p>Mac still didn't reply. Instead he made his way across the living area while mentally taking inventory:  chair, table, radio, telephone, bookcase. He stopped outside the door to what he assumed was the bedroom and called, "Anybody home?" for good measure before going in.</p><p>The room appeared no more disheveled than the rest of the cabin. The bed was made, and on the night table was a lamp, a book, and a keychain. There was a closet, a chest of drawers, and another chair by the window.</p><p>"No one here," Mac reported as he strolled back to the kitchen where he found Jack making a sandwich.</p><p>"What?" Jack asked when Mac raised his eyebrows. "It's only gonna go to waste."</p><p>Mac sighed. "I'm going to go check the tower." He walked over only to find Jack trotting behind, finishing off his sandwich.</p><p>"I couldn't let you go alone!" said Jack. "Who knows what might be inside?"</p><p>"Yeah, could be more pb&amp;j to conquer." He stopped at the door to the tower. "Aw, man, I left the keys—" But on reflex he tried the door anyway and it eased open silently. "Okay," he said, exchanging a look with Jack, "maybe we don't need them."</p><p>Inside the tower was a lower room with a single, unshaded lightbulb that flicked on via a switch by the door. The room had a cement floor and a few metal lockers that Mac figured probably housed tools and equipment. But it was the staircase on the left that interested him. Another switch at the base gave light to the steps and upper room.</p><p>They started up the stairs, Jack huddled closer than a shadow. "Ease up a bit," Mac told him.</p><p>At the top of the tower they found just what Mac expected to find: a satellite dish and all the trimmings that went with it. Three sides of the room were paneled against the weather, but one wall was all but open, allowing the dish to aim out without obstruction. On closer inspection, Mac discovered the dish was on a swivel and the panels around it were constructed to open and be held with latch hooks so that the satellite could turn in any direction. For the most part it appeared intact, but then Mac spotted the sabotage. Nothing flashy, just some wires that had been clipped and others were missing completely so that the circuit could not simply be re-routed. They would need all new wiring to get it running again.</p><p>"Well?" Jack asked after enduring several minutes of his buddy's silent evaluation.</p><p>"It's a done deal, all right," Mac said. "So much for a glitch; someone did this on purpose."</p><p>"The ranger?" Jack wondered.</p><p>"I don't know. I can't imagine why... Then again, it's not like the person was angry. They didn't rip anything apart or bash it with a hammer." He stood. "Guess we'd better phone Pete and let him know what's going on."</p><p>***</p><p>"What?!" Pete shouted over the phone. "Sabotage? But who? Why?"</p><p>"I don't know, Pete," Mac replied. "I have a feeling if we found the ranger we'd get some answers. What was his name again?"</p><p>"Jeremy Denton. You don't think he did it?"</p><p>"Somebody had to. There are no signs of a struggle or a break-in, and the radio and phone work. The satellite equipment was the only thing touched."</p><p>"So where is Denton?" Pete demanded.</p><p>"I don't know." Mac was getting sick of saying that. "His Jeep is here. Is there anywhere he could get to on foot?"</p><p>"I'll have some of our people look into that. How about an accomplice? Could someone have picked him up?"</p><p>"There aren't any fresh tire tracks, so if anybody did come for him, they came by air. Jack's landing obliterated any clues to that, though."</p><p>"He could be anywhere by now," Pete muttered. "What about the satellite? Can you fix it?"</p><p>"I've got some wire, but I don't know if it'll be enough. It needs all new circuitry, but I may be able to patch it together until something more permanent can be done."</p><p>"Thanks, MacGyver," Pete said sincerely.</p><p>"No problem."</p><p>"So can we go home?" Jack asked as Mac hung up.</p><p>"I'm going to try to fix the satellite first. Why would anyone want to shut down a satellite that's sole function is to track tagged animals in the wild?" Mac wondered.</p><p>"That's all it's for?" Jack asked.</p><p>Mac shrugged. "Pete'll call whichever government office it is and tell them what's going on. The next move is theirs."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>That night Mac ended up on the floor (luckily he'd brought a sleeping bag) while Jack slept soundly in the ranger's vacant bed. At about three in the morning they woke to a strange sound.</p><p>"Mac, you awake?" Jack whispered.</p><p>"...Yeah."</p><p>"You hear that?"</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"What is it?"</p><p>"Sounds like humming."</p><p>"I know that!" Jack hissed. "But what's making the humming?"</p><p>Mac slipped out of his sack and ventured to the window. After peering out for a moment, he experimentally placed a hand on the glass. "It's vibrating. I think it's coming from the tower. I'll go take a look."</p><p>"Mac, wait!"</p><p>Mac didn't, in part because if he didn't keep moving he might fall asleep on his feet. But the cold air woke him quickly as they headed outside.</p><p>"Brr," Jack fussed. "Are you sure this can't wait? Maybe it really was a glitch and the satellite just started working again."</p><p>"You saw those wires," said Mac as they entered the tower. "There's no way—"</p><p>As they started up the stairs, the humming stopped abruptly. Mac placed a hand on the wall. Stillness.</p><p>"Well, back to bed," said Jack, turning to go.</p><p>Mac, on the other hand, continued up the stairs.</p><p>"Mac! It stopped!" But when Mac didn't, Jack reluctantly followed. He hovered at the top of the stairs as Mac re-examined the equipment.</p><p>"It's just like we left it," said Mac.</p><p>"Great, let's go," said Jack.</p><p>Mac couldn't think of a reason to stay.</p><p>***</p><p>The next morning they were rousted from sleep once more, this time by the rotary of a helicopter. Dressing quickly, they got outside just in time to see it lift off again, leaving two well-dressed figures on the grass, overnight bags in hand.</p><p>"The government's next move?" Jack asked quietly as the suits advanced.</p><p>Mac didn't have time to respond as the tall, thin man flashed an I.D. "I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder of the FBI and this is my partner Dana Scully."</p><p>"The Feds?!" Jack exclaimed.</p><p>Ignoring him, Mac offered his hand. "Name's MacGyver. And this is Jack Dalton."</p><p>"Both of you are with Phoenix?" the red-headed woman who had been identified as Scully asked.</p><p>"More or less," Mac said with a glance at Jack. "What brings the FBI out this way?"</p><p>"Let's go inside," was all Mulder said.</p><p>At Mac's gesturing, Jack gathered the agents' bags and deposited them in the bedroom. Mac excavated some coffee from the kitchen. "Bring the other chair, Jack!" he called.</p><p>Mulder had begun an inspection, pacing the main room with occasional pauses to touch something thoughtfully. Scully stood at the small wooden bar that separated the living and kitchen spaces. At one point Mulder stopped beside her long enough to whisper, "It's a direct violation of the code of conduct for a federal agent to drool, Scully." She didn't answer and he did another lap around the room.</p><p>Jack dragged in the additional chair and Mac set the mugs of coffee on the bar. Each selected one and stood silently for a moment, sipping and staring at each other over the rims.</p><p>"So," Mac finally said.</p><p>Scully glanced up at her partner. When he didn't respond, she did. "We're here to investigate some strange occurrences with the transmitter. Were you able to re-wire it?"</p><p>"Haven't tried yet," said Mac. "I was going to do it today."</p><p>"You've noticed something," said Mulder. It was a statement, not a question.</p><p>"Tell 'em, buddy," Jack prompted. He plopped down into the seat he'd brought from the bedroom while the others remained standing.</p><p>"It just hummed and shook a little last night is all," said Mac.</p><p>"A little?!" Jack cried. "It woke us up! The whole place was shaking!"</p><p>"But by the time we got up there to check it out, it had stopped." Mac met Mulder's gaze and realized he was telling the agents something they already knew. "Don't suppose you have some idea about what might've been going on?"</p><p>"That's what we're here to determine, Mr. MacGyver," Scully said.</p><p>"Please, call me Mac."</p><p>She didn't answer but couldn't entirely hide a small smile as she took another sip of coffee.</p><p>"I'd like to examine the satellite now," Mulder said briskly.</p><p>Mac set his mug down. "Sure."</p><p>***</p><p>As they gathered in the upper room of the tower, Mac summarized his findings. Fingering a severed wire, Mulder asked, "Can it be fixed?"</p><p>"Won't know until I try," Mac told him. </p><p>"So the park ranger is missing..." Scully mused.</p><p>"Never called in or gave any report, and it wasn't here when we arrived," Mac confirmed.</p><p>"And nothing else has been vandalized," Mulder added, rising from where he'd bent to look at the damage.</p><p>"Not that we can tell," said Mac.</p><p>"So maybe the ranger did it," Scully suggested.</p><p>"Or he took off when he saw trouble coming," Mac said.</p><p>"But the Jeep is here," Jack put in.</p><p>"Taking it might've drawn unwanted attention if he was trying to get away quiet," Mac hypothesized as they headed out of the tower. "And if he was the culprit, the tracks would be easy to follow."</p><p>Scully lifted her eyebrows, impressed with the sandy-haired man's deduction.</p><p>"Is there anywhere he could have gone on foot?" asked Mulder.</p><p>"Phoenix is looking into that," said Mac.</p><p>"Dana, set up the fax machine and have Danny send over a profile on this Jeremy Denton," Mulder instructed.</p><p>While the agents attended to whatever it was they did, Mac gathered the tools he would need to repair the satellite: duct tape, wire, his Swiss Army knife... He whistled to himself as he headed to the door, and Mulder looked up from the file he was studying. "Where are you going?"</p><p>"Just going to see about fixing that dish," Mac told him.</p><p>"Don't."</p><p>Mac frowned. "But I—"</p><p>"It's coming in now," Scully said from behind the kitchen counter where she'd positioned the fax machine. The two men joined her as she pulled out the paper and scanned it. "Mulder," she said, "I don't think this guy would know how to disable a satellite. Look at his education." She handed the page over.</p><p>"Unless he started randomly cutting wires and got lucky," Mulder said as he perused the document.</p><p>Both agents turned to Mac and he realized he was expected to pass a verdict on the idea. "Nah," he said. "Those wires were cut by someone who knew what he was doing. Nothing about it was random. Someone who didn't know any better but wanted to kill the transmissions would probably just bash the thing."</p><p>"Then I guess we can cross Jeremy Denton off our list of suspects," Scully said. "Who does that leave us?"</p><p>"We need a motive," said Mulder. "Who would want the satellite incapacitated."</p><p>"Yeah, all it does is track wild animals," Jack said as he stumbled into the room after having taken a nap.</p><p>Mulder looked up. "Endangered species?"</p><p>Mac nodded confirmation. "Mostly wolves. The animals are tagged by the Wildlife Service and then tracked from the station."</p><p>"So what we've got is someone who doesn't want the Service to know where their animals are," said Scully.</p><p>"Maybe Denton was bought," Mulder said.</p><p>"Illegal gamers?" Mac suggested. "If someone wanted to hunt these animals, the first logical step is to make sure they can't be tracked."</p><p>"They could be having a field day, if you'll forgive the pun," said Mulder.</p><p>"Then we need to get the satellite up and running and not give them any time," Scully said.</p><p>"I was about to," Mac told her, "but your partner here—"</p><p>"Not yet," said Mulder. "We still have to figure out what's happening now that it's been disconnected."</p><p>"You mean the shake, rattle, and roll from last night?" Jack asked with a short, sharp laugh. "Probably aliens."</p><p>Mulder pinned him with a look but didn't answer. Scully turned to Mac and asked, "When will we hear from Phoenix about whether Denton could have walked anywhere?"</p><p>"Should be any time now." He paused. "Are you sure we should wait to fix the dish?"</p><p>Mulder turned to him. "The game hunters are only a theory. There are other things to consider." He gathered the file he'd been reading, along with the information about Jeremy Denton, and went to sit at the table without another word.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>That afternoon, while Mac and Jack went to check the plane for any potential damage due to the rough landing, Scully finally managed a moment alone with her partner. Taking a seat at the small table where he was still sorting through file, she asked, "Are you going to tell them?"</p><p>"They don't need to know," he answered without looking up.</p><p>"I think they could help, Mulder. MacGyver is pretty sharp."</p><p>"Maybe about satellites and endangered species, but I doubt he's read up on Reticulans."</p><p>Just then Mac entered, followed by Jack. "Found something," Mac said. He was holding what looked like a business card.</p><p>Scully rose and went to take it from him. "Who's Murdoc?"</p><p>Mac sighed. "It's kind of a long story."</p><p>But Mulder was frowning. "The professional assassin?"</p><p>Mac's brows went up. "You know him?"</p><p>"From my days in violent crime," said Mulder. He stood and pulled the card from Scully's hands. After a moment's examination, he pinned MacGyver with a hard look. "It's addressed specifically to you."</p><p>"Like I said, it's a long story, but that's a piece that gives us a bigger picture of the puzzle," said Mac.</p><p>"You think he killed Denton?" Scully asked.</p><p>"It's a distinct possibility," Mac told her.</p><p>Mulder studied Mac for a bit longer before pointing out, "The only thing this note admits to is disabling the satellite."</p><p>"Why would an assassin disable a satellite?" Jack wondered aloud. He looked at Mac. "How did he even know you'd be here."</p><p>"Fair question," Mulder added.</p><p>"He likes to play games with me," said Mac. "He had to know Phoenix would send me. Was probably banking on it."</p><p>Mulder dropped the card on the papers on the table then closed the file folder over the stack. "Still doesn't explain whatever is happening at night. Which is why—"</p><p>The cabin's phone rang. After a flurry of glances amongst the gathering, Mac went to answer. A few minutes later he hung up and reported, "That was the Foundation. They say it's possible Denton headed for the Yoganawon River. Would take a couple days on foot, but the Service houses a boat there."</p><p>"Then he'd only just be getting there, assuming he left about the time the transmitter went down," said Scully.</p><p>"And assuming that's where he went," said Mulder. "If he was an accomplice, he could have left with the vandals."</p><p>"I doubt it," Mac said. "Murdoc usually works alone."</p><p>"Sabotaging a satellite isn't his usual line of work either," Mulder pointed out.</p><p>"Unless there's profit in it," suggested Jack suddenly. "What if game hunters paid Murdoc to disable the dish."</p><p>The group grew silent as they chewed the idea over. "It's possible," Scully finally said. "And he either did it with Denton's cooperation or without." She glanced at Mac. "Most likely without."</p><p>"Then we're working under the assumption Denton is dead," said Mulder. The silence this time was more uneasy, but no one broke it.</p><p>***</p><p>Jack put his culinary skills to use by making everyone sandwiches for dinner. Afterward, it came time to divvy up sleeping quarters.</p><p>"I vote for giving the lady the bed," said Mac, "if you can steal it from Jack, that is."</p><p>"I'm taking my sleeping bag out to the tower," Mulder announced.</p><p>"There's no heating system out there," Mac warned.</p><p>"You'll freeze!" Jack put in.</p><p>Mulder tossed his paper plate into the compost bin. "I want to be out there when it happens."</p><p>"<i>If</i> it happens," Scully said. "It could have been an electrical storm or..." But she seemed to have run out of possible explanations.</p><p>"An electrical storm that starts a disconnected satellite," Mulder mused. "That's a new one."</p><p>"Oh, but alien contact makes complete sense," Scully snapped.</p><p>"Aliens?!" Jack exclaimed. He looked to MacGyver, but his friend only gave a tiny shake of his head.</p><p>Mulder was focused only on his partner. "Look at the files, Scully. Remember Ruby Morris?"</p><p>"That was a glitch," Scully told him flatly.</p><p>Mulder opened his mouth then snapped it shut again and took a deep breath. "Believe what you want, Scully. But when they start sending data, I'm going to be there to see it. Before the men upstairs take it away."</p><p>"We were told to stop it from happening, not wait around for it," Scully said. "And we haven't received anything but our own classified information! Not something we want flying through the airwaves, where just anyone can get ahold of it!"</p><p>Mac and Jack exchanged glances.</p><p>"Maybe it's just to get our attention," said Mulder.</p><p>"Well, they've got it," said Scully. She sighed, and like a parent denying a child dessert, she added, "Mulder, we have to shut it down."</p><p>Mac finally spoke up. "Hold on a second. The classified information started being broadcast <i>after</i> the satellite was disconnected?" The agents glanced at one another and nodded. "So... if we reconnect the dish, will the transmissions stop?"</p><p>"We don't know," said Mulder.</p><p>"But then we will have stopped the illegal gamers, too," Jack said.</p><p>"Both problems would be solved," said Scully.</p><p>"The gamers are a theory," Mulder said stubbornly. He looked to his partner for support. "The night signals are real."</p><p>"What's real is that U.S. government secrets are falling out of the sky," she told him. "And gamers sound a lot more plausible than aliens."</p><p>"One night, Scully," Mulder pleaded. "I just... I just want to know. Don't you?"</p><p>"I do!" Jack chimed but everyone ignored him.</p><p>Scully drew a deep breath. "Fine. But don't complain to me when all you come back with is frostbite."</p><p>***</p><p>"What are you doing here?" Mulder asked. He had changed out of his suit and into his sweats and was now situating his sleeping bag at the foot of the stairs in the transmission tower.</p><p>Mac shrugged and tossed his own sleeping bag down. "Couldn't see leaving you out here by yourself. Oh, here," he added, holding out a small plastic bag, "Dana said to bring you these."</p><p>Mulder took the bag and eyed the contents. "Sunflower seeds," he said with a small smile.</p><p>Mac looked from the seeds to the agent and back. "I don't get it. Is it a joke?"</p><p>"Only when I leave them in her—" Above them, the ceiling began to shudder. Without another word, Mulder leapt for the stairs.</p><p>Mac had the presence of mind to flip on the stair light before following. When he arrived at the top of the tower, he found Mulder standing in awe beside the faintly glowing satellite dish, which emitted a low hum interrupted by occasional static. Mac's gaze fell on the clipped wires. How could this be happening?</p><p>But Mulder's gaze was on the opening and the night sky beyond. He stepped closer, and Mac leaned forward for a better view. He could see the dark shapes of Jack and Scully, as well as a third person stumbling across the grassy clearing. "Who's that?"</p><p>With a sudden rattle, the satellite fell dark and silent. Then, in a rain of sparks, the single lightbulb exploded, making them both jump. "Careful," said Mac as he groped for the stairs. He and Mulder made it down then raced outside to see what was happening. They found Jack hovering over Scully, who was kneeling next to the third figure, a man who had evidently collapsed. "We need to get him inside," Scully said.</p><p>"Who is he?" Mulder asked.</p><p>Mac, who had leaned in to help Scully get the man to his feet, answered, "From the looks of him, I'd say he was Jeremy Denton."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Propped in one of the cabin chairs, Jeremy Denton looked like a life-sized rag doll. His blue eyes stared, glassy and seemingly unseeing. His broad face and short blond hair were streaked with dirt. Glancing between the photo Danny had faxed and the actual man, Mulder would hardly have believed they were the same person. Or even related.</p><p>Jack cheerfully handed the forest ranger another glass of water. Scully, putting her medical degree to use, had quickly diagnosed Denton with acute dehydration. However, she still believed he would need to see a medical professional for a full physical and was rallying for Jack to fly her and Denton out at first light.</p><p>Mulder had other ideas. He wanted to question Denton, and even went so far as to suggest hypnotic regression.</p><p>"Even if he was in any condition for that," Scully told her partner, not for the first time, "you're not equipped to do it here. Once we're back in civilization, and after he's been treated..."</p><p>But Mulder wasn't listening. He'd been distracted by the sight of Mac heading for the door, tools in hand. "What are you doing?" Mulder demanded.</p><p>"I'm going to patch the dish," Mac told him. "You had your second chance, and now I'm going to do what I cam here to do. I've got vacation coming," he added. He left before the agent could protest further.</p><p>Scully shook her head when her partner turned her way. "It's over, Mulder."</p><p>Just then, Denton jolted where he sat. His eyes began to move rapidly over the room. "Where...?" he croaked.</p><p>"You're safe," Mulder told him, taking a knee beside the chair. "Can you tell us where you've been? What happened?"</p><p>Denton only stared at him.</p><p>"Guess not," muttered Jack, downing the glass of water he still held. Then he turned to Scully. "If we're gonna go, I need to do a final check on the plane." When she nodded, he shuffled out.</p><p>Mulder stood with a sigh. "This is some of the best evidence we've had yet, and we're about to lose it."</p><p>"Mulder, he's filthy! Unless Reticulans have taken up mud wrestling aboard their ships, I'd say it's more likely he's been wandering the woods for a couple days."</p><p>"Then why is he dehydrated, Scully? There's a river not a few yards away and any number of other ponds and streams. Even if he got lost, he should have been able to find water.</p><p>"And the satellite?" he persisted when Scully had no answer. "The way Denton just appeared as it was powering up?"</p><p>"I'm no technical expert, but I'm sure there's an explanation," Scully told him. "Maybe he saw the light or heard the noise and it led him home."</p><p>Mac returned and the agents rounded on him, both staring expectantly. "It's done," he reported, "as best as it can be until a real tech team can... What?" he asked when he realized this information was not what they were waiting for.</p><p>"You were there; you saw it. Can you think of any possible technical explanation for what happened with the satellite tonight?" Mulder asked.</p><p>"Well, I..." Mac grimaced. "No, not really. But that doesn't mean there isn't one. Could just mean I haven't had enough sleep."</p><p>"We should pack," said Scully. "But someone should keep an eye on Denton."</p><p>"I'll stay. I need to call Pete anyway," Mac told her.</p><p>I reluctant Mulder exited to gather his belongings from the tower while Scully ducked into the cabin's bedroom for her bag. With an uncertain glance at the ranger, Mac started for the phone. But before he could reach it, Denton began to scream.</p><p>"Don't let them take me!" He shouted it twice more before dissolving into sobs.</p><p>Mac froze and Scully reappeared in the doorway of the bedroom. But it was Mulder, who had returned, who dropped his things and moved quickly to kneel beside where Denton sat trembling. Quietly, he asked, "Who, Jeremy? Don't let <i>who</i> take you?"</p><p>For a long moment, Jeremy Denton's blue eyes stared vacantly at the agent. "The men," he finally whispered, "from the sky."</p><p>Just then Jack burst in. "Sun's up! Ready to hit the skies?"</p><p>Denton clenched his head in his hands and curled in on himself where he sat. Mulder attempted to take him by the shoulders. "It's all right!" he said, "It's all right!"</p><p>But Scully moved in with a small medical kit she'd fished from her bag. A swift shot in Denton's arm caused him to relax. The blue eyes closed.</p><p>"Damn it, Scully!" Mulder snapped when he spied the needle. "We almost had it!"</p><p>"The man needs medical attention," Scully countered, "and clearly the only way we're going to get him on that plane is by sedating him!"</p><p>"Look," Mac broke in calmly as the agents stared one another down, "what's done is done. Let's just get on the plane and back to San Francisco. We can worry about everything then and there."</p><p>***</p><p>MacGyver's final report was simply that he'd done what he'd been sent to do. The satellite had been repaired, and the forest ranger had been found. Mac included the fact that Murdoc had admitted to disabling the satellite, and he put in the theory about game hunters, but noted that, due to the need to get medical attention for Jeremy Denton, any further investigation had been cut short. Any remaining case analysis was up to the FBI.</p><p>This report was turned in to the Phoenix Foundation.</p><p>***</p><p>Federal Agent Dana Scully's final assessment also mentioned big game hunters. In her opinion, Jeremy Denton had likely been held hostage somewhere, perhaps the boathouse. She added that the transmitter, once repaired, had ceased to act strangely, and the threat to national security had been averted. A job well done, case closed.</p><p>This report was turned in to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.</p><p>***</p><p>Fox Mulder's account agreed in part with the others'. He had no reason to refute that Murdoc had sabotaged the dish, and it was possible he'd been paid to do so by gamers. But Murdoc's methods were not to take hostages unless he thought he could somehow benefit from them, and there had been no ransom note or demands for money. Murdoc was a professional assassin, and it was Mulder's theory that the only thing that had saved Jeremy Denton from landing on Murdoc's list of victims was an alien abduction. As to why aliens would play tricks with a disconnected satellite, Mulder was unclear. "As I am writing this, Jeremy Denton is comatose in Saint Francis Memorial Hospital. He is our only key to this mystery—the truth may never be known."</p><p>This report resides in the FBI basement, filed under "X."</p>
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